KOTONOHA for Violin and Piano（2017）

This work was commissioned by conductor Kazuki Yamada for the debut album of violinist Mai Suzuki.

I was asked to do this around the end of November. In order to get a better feel for how to write the composition，I listened to many of Suzuki’s performances. What came to mind was a scene of golden autumn...leaves fluttering down in a shimmering dance. And that became the central theme of the composition，with the sound pattern of the opening piano and the violin playing.

The title "Kotonoha" means "words." In an ancient book of Japanese poetry called "Kokin Wakashū" it says that "kotonoha" are seeds planted in the human heart that become a plethora of words.

Normally，instrumental music does not have words. But I believe that a superior melody may sound as if it were really a song. I began to think that if I could，I wanted to share feelings I couldn’t express. I had something I wanted to say，with the thoughts coming up in my heart，but words seemed so insufficient. Then the emotions overflowed and the sounds began to speak as I continued on with the composition.

For the recording，I am very grateful to Mai Suzuki and maestro Kazuki Yamada for their wonderful performance which surpassed by far the intentions of the composer.

To all of you who have been kind enough to listen to this music，I pray that the "words" (kotonoha) will warm your heart in many ways.